The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-01-13
DEATH ON THE RAIL.
Two Shocking Railway Accidents
in One Day.
Nineteen Persons Killed and Many More
Injured on the Baltimore & Ohio, and
One Killed and Several Injured
at Mittinesuque, Mass.

at Mittinesuque, Mass.
TIFrIN, O., Jan. 5.-An east-bound
freight, drawn by engine No. 726, while
running on an up grade nine miles east OF
here, and within half a mile of the village
Of Republic, gave out and was unable to
make the grade. The conductor ran for
ward with signal to flag the fast train,
No. :, but it was too late, the train was
less than a quarter Of mile distant, run
ming at the rate of sixty-three miles per
hour and it crashed into the freight,
wrecking both engines and the baggage,
express, smoking and one passenger car
of the passenger train.
Within an almost incredible short space
| of time the wreck was in flames and the
! injured passengers were beng burned.
The passengers in the two sleepers and
one coach escaped, mum bering about fifty.
| Nineteen passengers in the smoker were
all killed. One Irish emigraut alone es-
capped from the smoker, but afterwards
died of his wounds. He did not give his
| name.
The engineer of the passenger jumped
and escaped with a dislocated knee. The
fireman was pinned between the beams,
|
in that position and then died. Nine
charred and blackened bodies with the
limbs burned away were removed and laid
on the floor of the undertaker's room. The
sight was horrible one. and there was no
resemblance to human bodies in the re-
mains. At least ten more are supposed to
have perished and been entirely burned
up. There is nothing but the bodies which
can help to identify them.
Among those identified are:
Jos. Postlewaite, aged fifty-seven years,
and his two sons, Spencer and Henry, aged
eighteen and eleven respectively. He
was from New Martinsville, W. Va, and
was accompanied by his wife and three
other small children, the four latter being
saved. They were on their way to
Chillicothe, No, to make that their home
| c. P. Bradley, of One Hundred and
Twelfth street, d. c., a prominent Knight
of Labor, on his way west to lecture, was
held by the feet in the car, his body pro-
truding from the window. 1t was impos-
sible to extricate him and he burned to
death by inches. He gave his watch and
papers into the safe keeping of others.
AMr Smith. of Benwood, W. Va, was
in the car next to the smoker, and was un-
hurt He says the shock was not a very
great one He was thrown from his seat
and thought the train had left the track.
Nobody was very seriously hurt IN his
coach beyond bruises, cuts and burns.
Physicians were summoned from this
city and Republic, and rendered efficient
service to the wounded. About a dozen
persons were wounded, in addition to
those killed, not me ntioned above.
Prominent railway officials were pres
ent investigating the matter. 1t is impos
sible to tell now who was to blame, but it
is learned that the engineer, fireman and
the whole crew of the freight train were
drunk and neglectful Of duty. The coro-
ner of the county will make a full investi-
cation. The wounded were all hustled
out of the county as quickly as possible by
the railroad officials.
The accident is charged to the conductor
and engineer of the freight train They
pulled out of Republic when they should
have remained there. They claimed they
had thirty-five minutes to make the run
of four miles and a quarter, which re-
quired only eighteen minutes.
THE MITTINEACQUE DISASTER.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass, Jan. 4.-Mittin-
eauque station was the scene of a fright
full accident early this morning. The Mo-
doc train from Albany approached the de-
pot one hour behind time and running
about thirty-tive miles an hour, and when
within a few rods of the station five of the
six cars left the track from some cause
not definitely learned, but thought to be a
broken journal The train consisted of
Engine No. Q, express, baggage, smoking
cars, one day coach and two sleepers. The
engine and express car kept on the main
track and the baggage car was
thrown against the engine of the local
west-bound freight, which had just pulled
in and was standing on the west-bound
main track. The freight engine was
thrown on It's side and completely
wrecked. The baggage and smoker and
one day coach Immediately took fire and
were consumed, except the bodies and
trucks. The head of the first sleeping car
was charred, but not otherwise damaged.
LIST OF THE INJURED.
Charles B. Packard, Westfield, printer,
son of DR.. Packard, of Wcstfield; injured
in loin and other severe internal injuries;
also bad scalp wound. 1t is feared he will
not recover.
Francis Thompson, recently of the United
States Life Saving station at Campbell,
near San Francisco, cut and burned about
the hip and legs.
John Landers, West Springfield, fireman
of the local freight; badly gashed about
the head and face.
Mr. and Mrs. E. S. Whitford, Providence,
R. l.; thrown from seat and bruised. Mr..
Whitford was badly cut under the lower
jaw.
Lester L. Worden, Springfield; cut on
leg.
c. II. Clark, colored, Windsor Locks,
Conn; thrown out of window and left leg
cut and bruised.
Mrs. j. II. jerks and daughter, Mrs. F.
NJ Chandler, of Troy, n. Y, on their way
to Ludlow with the body of Mr.. jerks;
Mrs. jerks slightly sprained her ankle.
The body of Mr.. jerks was burned.
T. Dwyer and Emeline Dvyer, with their
adopted daughter, Miss Mary Sekerino. of
Honolulu, Hawaiian islands. Miss Seke-
rino had her face slightly cut.
The through New York and Chicago
mail was on this train, and the mail for all
New England. There were five pouches
of this mail, and all were destroyed. All
the Westfeld and Pittsfield mail, and the |
Albany letter mail were destroyed, max
ing fourteen letter pouches. that were
burned. There were about eighty sacks of
newspaper mail on the train, and all but ]
seven Of those sacks were burned.
Two More Wrecks.
ELNIRA, n. Y, Jan. Sat four O'CLOCK !
ha hound Eria